Starting tomorrow, qualifying medical marijuana users can hit the dispensaries for the dry leaf form of the drug.

Dry leaf is expected to be cheaper than the other medical marijuana products that have been available since February.

It should also be more readily available than the already allowed pills, oils, gels, creams, ointments, tinctures, liquids and non-whole plant forms that are used through vaporization.

As of Wednesday, patients can get the whole-plant flower cannabis that they could use to mix into food and drinks or to vaporize. Smoking it is prohibited. Patients are also advised to keep it in the original container.

In Beaver County, six doctors are certified to prescribe medical marijuana at this time, according to the state Department of Health, Office of Medical Marijuana.

None of the doctors could be reached and did not return calls seeking comment.

But the state has allowed qualifying doctors to opt out of being publicly listed, so there may be more in the county.

A county mental-health practitioner said she has been getting questions about prescriptions but she isn’t certified to provide them.

The nearest dispensaries for Beaver County patients to purchase dry leaf are Cresco Yeltrah in Butler and the Strip District, and Solevo in Squirrel Hill. Both companies were working through pricing up to the final moments.

Solevo told Facebook followers Monday that they were “quite literally working this through now” as they received shipments from growers.

“We’ll update the menu with pricing once we’ve processed the deliveries,” the company announced.

Cresco Yeltrah was still pricing as of Tuesday afternoon, as well, according to Missy, an assistant manager at the Butler location. Starting out, she said they would be limiting dry-leaf sales to 15 grams per week in the first two weeks, then 30 grams per month.

“We will not be processing any holds for it,” she said. “You must come in person. Our hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.”

Dispensaries experienced shortages statewide, with some temporarily closing their doors, when locations began running out of product about two weeks after the state’s medical marijuana program began in March.

More than 52,000 patients have registered to participate in the medical marijuana program, of which more than 30,000 have received their identification cards and are able to visit a dispensary to purchase medical marijuana. More than 1,000 physicians have registered for the program, with more than 700 approved as practitioners.

The department encourages those with a medical marijuana ID card to contact the dispensary prior to visiting to be sure the dry leaf form of medical marijuana is available.

“The dry leaf form of medical marijuana provides a cost-effective option for patients. It’s important to talk with your doctor or the medical professional at the dispensary to see if the dry leaf form of medical marijuana is an option for you,” state Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said on Twitter.

Larissa is an experienced community news reporter whose hyperlocal journalism has garnered regional, state, and national awards including recognition by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association and Society of Professional Journalists.

Beaver County pension money invested in marihuana dispensary. Shouldn’t they have gotten the license to dispense first. Like investing in a bar buy the building glasses tables chairs etc. etc. But you have no liquor license. Financial genius at work in that court house. What happened to the pension money?

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply

Jul 31, 2018 10:56 pm

Guest

Mungo Jerry

Right on! Now let these patients grow a small amount for their medical use, because now that govt. Is involved they will surely fuck it all up….i.e sufficient supply, and mark Mungo’s words….they will be out of stock within a few days….if not hours!

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply

Aug 1, 2018 2:37 am

Guest

wtf

The gov’t is not likely to allow people to grow it. The only reason it is becoming legalized is because they can make money off it. Just like fireworks, you think they were looking to make everyone’s Fourth of Jul more fun? Hell No!! They added 12% sales tax.

Anything the gov’t does is about money, for themselves or friends. How do they choose the select few who will make millions of the new marijuana trade?

There will still be illegal sales of marijuana,even after it is legalized for recreational use because they gov’t has to get paid and a lot of people will look for cheaper options.

But at least we will save time and money by no longer arresting people who smoke pot.

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply

Aug 1, 2018 6:19 pm

Guest

Nunya

This is great news, but I’m curious as to why is it on this website? This isn’t pertinent specifically to Beaver County and doesn’t seem to involve any kind of in-depth investigative journalism. I read this on all the other major news organizations already.

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply

Aug 1, 2018 1:47 pm

Member

sezme

it costs many many hundreds of thousands of $$ to start, operate a grow site,run a dispensery, etc. not to mention licences and whatever else is required by the state before opening and selling . i just wonder who, of all the private citizens who have invested in this business, have that kind of money. i am not saying at all that this is a”familia business”….but time will tell. just like booze, gambling , hard drugs, somebody will be pissed that their share of the business has gone legal…it’s a matter of time.

Vote Up00Vote Down Reply

Aug 1, 2018 4:49 pm

Guest

Cheech & Chong

Rumor has it that a Marijuana facility is going to be built in the area of Franklin Ave and Station St in Alighetto.